The aim of the present study was to explain whether serum autotaxin activity might be
a target for regulation of liver fibrosis and to evaluate the hepato-protective and antifibrotic
effects of histidine in thioacetamide induced liver fibrosis in rats. The study
was carried out on 100 albino rats, classified into 5 groups each of 20 rats: group І
(control group), group ІІ: rats were given histidine intra-peritoneally, group ІІІ: rats
were injected intra-peritoneally with thioacetamide, group IV: rats were injected with
L-histidine together with thioacetamide, group V: rats were injected with TAA for one
month then treated with intra-peritoneal injection of L-histidine for another month. At
the end of experiment, blood and liver were collected for determination of some liver
enzymes, plasma total antioxidant capacity, serum autotaxin activity and liver tissue
hydroxyproline. Thioacetamide treatment caused significant increases in liver
enzymes, autotaxin activities and liver hydroxyproline, but with a significant decrease
in plasma total antioxidant capacity. Upon treatment with histidine significant
decreases in liver enzymes, autotaxin activities and liver hydroxyproline were
observed with a significant increase in plasma total antioxidant capacity in group IV
and significant decrease in group V. Conclusion: histidine as an antioxidant has a
protective effect on thioacetamide-induced liver fibrosis , its beneficial effects in rats
might be not only by inhibition of collagen synthesis and increasing total antioxidant
capacity, but also by inhibition of autotaxin activities, thus reducing its capacity to
produce lysophosphatidic acid which has a role in liver fibrosis.